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HealthNews RoundUp - 2nd Week of April 2021

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Medicine of The Future -041321

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Wd06crfQLUM

 

New treatments for Alzheimer’s, sickle cell disease, concussions, organ replacement, wound healing, and color blindness.  All this on  Medicine of the Future.

 

My reports typically cover research discoveries that you can use here and now.  This new feature, Medicine Of The Future, gives you an inkling of what’s to come in future medical and surgical therapeutics.

 

A small molecule discovered by University of Arizona researchers regulates cholesterol levels in the brain and may become part of new therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.  ABCA1 is that molecule and increasing it reduces dementia-producing brain inflammation.  The team found another small molecule CL2-57 that bumps up ABCA1 production and it could become Alzheimer therapy.

 

The Cambridge, MA biopharmaceutical company Fulcrum Therapeutics is developing a pill to treat the root cause of sickle cell disease.  Their oral drug FTX-6058 triggers the production of fetal-type hemoglobin within red cells and prevents them from deforming and clogging blood vessels while permitting treated red cells to carry a nearly normal amount of oxygen.

 

Your spit may soon tell doctors if you’ve had a concussion.  British investigators studying rugby players have discovered  biomarkers in saliva that signal a traumatic brain injury.  Tests to detect these markers are under development by  a Swiss company Marker Diagnostics and will have broad application for general, sports, and military medicine.

 

Speaking of concussion, birth control pills with progesterone might help female athletes weather them better.  Northwestern University neuroscientists find that higher progesterone levels help women recover faster from concussion by increasing brain blood flow and reducing stress levels.  

 

Swedish researchers report a new bioink for improved 3D printing of human tissues.  This next generation bioink permits fabrication of tissue scaffolds that support development of both the airways and blood vessels. These structures are a must for the printing of vital organs such as lungs. 

 

Ohio State bioengineers report that applying tiny direct current electric fields to traumatized tissues permits a favorable 4 fold blood vessel permeability increase that speeds wound healing.  Increased blood vessel permeability allows vital nutrients to flow into tissues as they repair themselves.

 

Engineers at Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa University have developed tinted contact lenses that treat color blindness.  These rose-tinted contact lenses are constructed of gold nanoparticles in a hydrogel polymer.   They selectively filter light within a 520-580 nm wavelength range permitting improved red-green shade discrimination.

 

These and other cutting edge solutions are coming to your doctor’s office and our hospitals…….some day soon!

 

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsptsci.0c00149

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210409093609.htm

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/02/09/bjsports-2020-103274

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/neu.2020.7217

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202005476

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/LC/D0LC00507J#!divAbstract

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.0c09657

 

#Alzheimer #sicklecell #concussion #organreplacement #woundhealing #colorblindness

Alzheimers, sicklecell, concussion, organreplacement, woundhealing, colorblindness

 

Medicine of The Future -041321 Part 4 of 4. #Alzheimer #sicklecell #concussion #organreplacement #woundhealing #colorblindness 

 

 

Physical Activity Out Of Work Most Beneficial

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/a59K_yqb1ZU

 

Exercising during your off-hours can reduce your chances of death by as much as 40%.  Ironically, though, high physical exertion at work actually increases your death risk by 27%.  Danish researchers present these conclusions after studying the mortality data from a cohort of 104,046 Danes and tabulating it with self-reported physical activity during leisure time and at work.

 

Compared with those reporting little leisure activity, those with moderate and high or very high physical exertion experienced 26% and 40% reduced risks of death from coronary events and stroke.  Work activity was unhelpful, and those with high and very high exertion at work were 13% and 27% more likely to die.

 

https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurheartj/ehab087/6213772

 

#exercise #leisuretime #work #mortality 

exercise, leisuretime, work, mortality

 

 

A Prototype Nanoparticle CoVid Vaccine Hits Variants

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/Cy37zQuJfpA

 

A designer vaccine that presents mutated forms of Covid spike proteins to the immune system on nanoparticles induces powerful antibodies to the 3 current variants, the British B.1.1.7, the South African B.1.351, and the Brazilian P.1.  Immunologists at San Diego’s Scripps Institute now report this achievement as a promising solution to our current CoVid variant challenge.

 

Nanoparticle-mounted CoVid spike proteins more efficiently induce a broader range of virus killing antibodies compared with vaccines that present CoVid proteins in solution.  Why? Longer retention of the nanoparticle-bound antigens within lymph nodes and better presentation of the antigens to antibody-producing lymphocytes.

 

This technology is very welcome news.

 

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.26.437274v1.full.pdf+html

 

#CoVid #vaccine #nanotechnology #variants

CoVid, vaccine, nanotechnology, variants

 

 

Protective CoVid Antibodies Last At Least A Year

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/7bsKp6g7-nE

 

Data from the earliest victims of CoVid, infected more than a year ago in Wuhan, now show durable protective immunity against this dread virus for 12 months or more.  The longitudinal study of 1782 blood samples from 869 CoVid-surviving donors now appears online via the pre-publication server biorixiv.org.

 

Protective anti-CoVid antibody levels were present in 95% 1-2 months after infection but were still present in 89% at 6-7 months and in 81% at 12 months.  Antibody strength does decline over time, but those with the highest initial titers had persistently protective antibodies.

 

Expect that vaccine-induced antibodies will last longer and be stronger.

 

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.05.437224v1.full.pdf+html

 

#CoVid #antibodies #vaccine #durability

CoVid, antibodies, vaccine, durability

 

 

Delaying Second mRNA Vaccine Doses Saves More Lives

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/LPhvY3s9wJM

 

Delivering the second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer mRNA vaccines after 3, 4, or 6 months rather than after only 3-4 weeks is a winning public health strategy.  Epidemiologists at Canada’s University of Toronto draw these conclusion from an age-stratified mathematical model.

 

Second dose delays reduce symptomatic cases by up to 19%, hospitalizations by 14%, and deaths by 10%.  The greatest benefits accrue by delaying that second dose up to 6 months.

 

Other studies show strong protective immunity 3-4 weeks after that first mRNA dose.  Using those second doses to protect more people sooner will stop viral spread and variant evolution.

 

https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.04.07.21255094v1.full.pdf+html

 

#mrna #moderna #pfizer #seconddose #delay #vaccine

mrna, moderna, pfizer, seconddose, delay, vaccine

 

 

Work and Social Stress Drive Women’s Heart Disease

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/heUksUkWdqw

 

The strains of holding down a job and maintaining social relationships increases a woman’s risk of developing heart disease by 21%.  Public health scientists at Philadelphia’s Drexel University report this and other conclusions following their study of 80,825 postmenopausal women over nearly a quarter century.

 

Relationship stress including a spousal death or a divorce/separation increases the heart disease risk by 12%. General, non-relationship social strains, increase the risk by 9%.  Job stress alone does not appear to increase heart disease risk, but data reveals a strong association between social strain and job strain.

 

All women must closely monitor their health and consistently use stress reduction strategies.

 

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.017780

 

#women #heart #coronary #stress #work #relationships #marriage #social

women, heart, coronary, stress, work, relationships, marriage, social

 

 

Keeping Teens Off Tanning Beds Saves Lives and Dollars

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/q-EmfkJ2plw

 

Barring US teens 14 to 17 years of age from using indoor tanning facilities would prevent more than 18,401 melanoma cases and save $205 million healthcare dollars.  This from a microsimulation study just published in the journal Cancer.

 

Banning tanning bed use for the 17.1 million US minors would prevent 15,101 primary melanoma cases and 3,299 potentially deadly recurrences over their lifetimes.  Exposure to UV radiation is most dangerous for the young, and a 2009 survey showed that 32% of high school students used a tanning bed at least once in the preceding year.

 

Seven European countries ban teen tanning altogether.  American teens should avoid it themselves.

 

https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/cncr.33499

https://www.aad.org/media/stats-indoor-tanning

 

#tanning #melanoma

tanning, melanoma

 

 

 

 

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Recalls

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Ellipsis Jetpack Mobile Hotspots On Recall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/6LOq0k6CHJE

 

The CPSC and Verizon now recall Ellipsis Jetpack Mobile Hotspots.  Their lithium batteries may overheat creating fire and burn hazards.  About 2.5 million were sold via Verizon stores nationwide and on Verizon.com.  If you can do without the internet access the hotspot provides, power it off and store it in a ventilated location away from combustibles.  If you need it for internet access, turn it on but do not continue to charge it while it downloads two over-the-air updates.  After the update, leave the device on and plugged in.  When you can, return the hotspot to Verizon for replacement.  For more information, call Verizon at 1-855-205-2627.

 

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Verizon-Recalls-2-5-Million-Ellipsis-Jetpack-Mobile-Hotspots-Imported-by-Franklin-Wireless-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards

 

#verizon #hotspot #battery #overheat #fire #burn #recall

verizon, hotspot, battery, overheat, fire, burn, recall

 

 

Recall On GEO Wintergreen Organic Essential Oil and GEO Alleviate Organic Essential Oil Blend

Vidcast:   https://youtu.be/MbPLfoKZbZE

 

The CPSC and Geo Essential now recall GEO Wintergreen Organic Essential Oil and GEO Alleviate Organic Essential Oil Blend.  These products contain methylsalicylate that is dangerous for children and must be sold in child-resistant packaging.  This product’s packaging is not.  Immediately stop use of this product and dispose of it.  You can also return it to the point of purchase for a refund.  For more information, call Geo Essential at 1-855-502-5363.

 

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/GEO-Essential-Recalls-Wintergreen-Organic-Essential-Oil-and-Alleviate-Organic-Essential-Oil-Blend-Due-to-Failure-to-Meet-Child-Resistant-Packaging-Requirement-Risk-of-Poisoning-Recall-Alert

 

#wintergreen #oils #methylsalicylate #packaging #recall

wintergreen, oils, methylsalicylate, packaging, recall

 

 

PIEPS DSP Pro, DSP Pro Ice, and DSP Sport Avalanche Transceivers On Recall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/m7jdzPxXCOY

 

The CPSC and Black Diamond now recall PIEPS DSP Pro, DSP Pro Ice, and DSP Sport Avalanche Transceivers.  This transceiver can switch modes when not locked or installed in the harness preventing it from transmitting a signal and making it difficult to locate a skier in an avalanche.  That can result in severe illness or death.  About 66,100 were sold in the US and about 12,500 were sold in Canada.  Immediately stop using this recalled avalanche transceiver and contact Black Diamond for a free replacement hardcase carrying system and user guide.  For more information, call Black Diamond at 1-866-306-0865.

 

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2021/Black-Diamond-Recalls-PIEPS-DSP-Avalanche-Transceivers-Due-to-Risk-of-Loss-of-Emergency-Communications-One-Death-Reported

 

#avalanche #transceiver #blackdiamond #pieps #death #recall

avalanche, transceiver, blackdiamond, pieps, death, recall

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